Global Showbiz Briefs: Switzerland, Australia, Italy

Zurich Film Festival To Present Paul Haggis with Golden EyeThe festival will also screen a retrospective of the Oscar-winning screenwriter and filmmaker’s work, which includes Million Dollar Baby, Crash and In the Valley of Elah. In addition, Haggis will lead one of the festival’s master class workshops, where he will discuss his work and career. Previous honorees at the festival, which will run Sept. 22-Oct. 2, include Roman Polanski, Milos Forman and Oliver Stone.

Universal, Sony Merge Home Entertainment In AustraliaSony Pictures Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures International Entertainment will combine operations in Australia in 2012 for the distribution of DVD and Blu-ray movies and TV shows. The new unit will be headed by Jim Bachelor, currently managing director for Universal Pictures Australia and New Zealand; and Kim Overall, managing director, Australia and New Zealand, SPHE, who will be in an advisory role. The unnamed joint venture, announced today by Eddie Cunningham, president of UPIE, and Matt Brown, EVP, international for SPHE, must still meet antitrust guidelines in Australia.

Venice Fest Adds Chinese Film As Surprise Competition EntryCai Shangjun’s revenge drama People Mountain People Sea was added as the surprise film in competition at the Venice Film Festival. The Chinese drama is about a young man that wants to find the killer of his younger brother and claim a reward. Making a late addition to the fest lineup has become a tradition in Venice since 2006, when Jia Zhangke’s Still Life, a lengthy documentary about a Chinese dam project, became the unexpected winner of the Golden Lion.